Rookies
by Shade the Hero Project-X
Summary: When a Rookie hero takes fighting lessons from a tyrant of a mentor she soon loses her patience and goes off to find a way back to her own time. However, she may uncover a truth better left in the dark.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: Whelp this is my first story on here. I normally try to leave my Oc's/ FC's out of stories like this, but I figure why the heck not! This may be my first story on here, but not my first fic. I'm working on some other stories as well and hope to finish them soon. hope you enjoy the first chapter and the whole story itself for that matter. ^^**_

**Rookies**

By: Syiren

**Chapter One **

Bullets fired from every direction. The only move the young hero could make was to jump straight into the air. unfortunately for her a strong rubber net was waiting and it easily scooped her up before she had a chance to dodge. "Fail." Called a voice from the shadows.

She tried again this time by ducking behind a table but, a grenade was thrown. Landing next to the hero she tried to run but, got struck by a blank bullet and then got caught in the blast wave of the explosion. "Fail." The voice called out again.

The third attempt failed as well when she was nearly roasted by a large flamethrower. The final test was head to head combat with the big boss. cloaked in shadows he came at her with a sword in one hand and a gun in the other. Her attacker aimed his gun but, the hero knocked it out of his grasp with a swat from her oddly shaped tail.

In a swift motion he swung his blade nearly cutting off one of the pikachu's ears. She did a back flip and landed on all fours. with a growl she bared her fangs at him. "I may not be able to avoid your traps but, I can best anyone in hand to hand combat!" The mysterious foe snorted in amusement. "Perhaps if this were one of your battles but, this isn't for fun and games. Your enemies will try to kill you the first chance they get. The only chance of survival you have is to take them out first."

He came at her again like an armored tank striking and slashing with his sword. The hero was doing pretty well at this point, much better then she had with the other tests. unfortunately she didn't see the puddle of oil that was left over from one of the other tests. While jumping back to avoid getting hit she slipped on the oil and slammed her back against the wall. Her opponent took his chance and went for the kill.

The yellow mouse lost her nerve and shut her eyes preparing for the stab. She heard the sound of the strike but, felt no pain. She opened her eyes and saw the blade buried in the wall just inches away from her face. Looking up she saw her foe towering over her. Her ears drooped and she let out a defeated sigh. "I'll never get the hang of this hero stuff."

The one she was addressing turned on the light. "You haven't been at it for very long and besides, things have gotten more dangerous in the future compared to when you first showed up in this city Shade."

The yellow mouse pokemon looked up at her idol and then looked down at her feet. The strangely marked pikachu had tried making the best out of her situation after getting stuck in the future but, it was even harder proving herself as a hero now then it was in the past. She looked over at the duck sporting the heavily spiked armor. "Is that why you're now wearing armor?"

Shade wasn't sure which Mallard she was addressing. She had already been in the future for a month and she still didn't know which hero she was standing before. Back in the past there were in fact two different heroic masked mallards. One was the original and more open-minded Darkwing Duck who although a little egotistical, was more willing to accept Shade as an equal. The other however was the feared Darkwarrior Duck. Another alternate of Darkwing. Shade didn't know if he had come from the future or another reality like Negaduck had but, the better question now was, which one of them was she with now?

Shade looked over at him trying to figure him out but, he quickly changed the topic. "You're skills are rookie at best. You'll never handle yourself out there if you don't stop clowning around. This isn't a game Shade. It's not one of your pokemon battles where they leave you alone if you can't move." The red-eyed pikachu glared at him. "I know that!" She jumped onto the table and got in his face. "Don't forget that I'm not a normal pikachu and that I've faced some of the worst St. Canard has to offer! I went up against the Fearsome Five once! Sure I didn't stand much of a chance and needed to be rescued when QuackerJack threw that rubber puddy on me but, the fact is even with Negaduck leading them I survived! So, don't lecture me about the dangers of the city! I've seen my fair share of hell!"

She jumped down and headed for the door stopping in the doorway. "Believe it or not there's far worse evil that exists outside of this city. Villains just as bad as Taurus Bulba and even worse still." With that Shade ran off leaving Darkwarrior to review their training. "Humph, no one is as bad as Taurus Bulba."

Shade needed a break from Darkwing Tower. she descended the support cables from the Adobon Bay Bridge and headed downtown to her old night club, 'The Thunderbolt'. Shade had no idea how many years it had been abandoned but, despite being run-down everything seemed to have been left as it was except for some of the furniture. Shade walked over to the DJ's platform. wiping off some of the dust she coughed as she looked at the CD's that were still there waiting to be played.

Taking a quick look around she visioned how amazing it once looked. There she was mixing tunes and dropping beats as the people on the dance floor danced the night away. She then looked over at the side stage where a band was on standby whenever Shade needed a break. The bar was packed and the rookie was always on watch in case things over there got carried away. then there was the game room on the second floor. Arcade games were set aside for kids and families during the daytime hours and special events.

Shade made her way up to the third floor where her office and apartment was. She was relieved to see that her door was still intact. Taking a hidden key from a loose floorboard she unlocked her door. although dusty she was glad that it seemed like nothing had been touched. She went into her drawer and pulled out her blue backpack. Her Darkwing fan costume and diary were still inside.

Shade put the backpack over her shoulders. Taking a rag she dusted off the mirror. She then noticed an envelope sitting on her night stand. Picking it up she sniffed it first. So much dust had been caked on it that it was hard to tell where it had come from. She slowly and carefully opened it in case it was rigged in any way. There was nothing in it except for a folded up paper. She carefully opened it and read the letter aloud.

_"Greetings Fellow Hero,_

_I've been thinking about this for a while; ever since you proved you have what it takes in fact and I've finally made my decision. You've been fighting crime in this city for well over a year now and not only have you shown skill and courage but, it's also clear that you've proven to be a trust worthy friend. _

_further-more, you've openly shared the haunting secrets of your past and It only seems fair that I share a secret of my own. Meet me at 537 Avian Way tonight and don't be late._

_Sincerely, _

_Darkwing Duck"_

Shade blinked in surprise. He had to have come here the night she disappeared. Shade clenched her fist, angry that she had made the stupid choice to follow QuackerJack instead of returning home to her club. She would have seen the note. She regretted not realizing the trap she had so easily fallen for.

She read the letter over again. "Well, there's no harm in checking out the address anyway." After she memorized the address she tucked the letter in the pocket of her backpack before she put it away and left the club.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Shade had to take a few detours for her own safety. Darkwarrior was right, this place really had become infested with crime. almost everyone on the street was a bored thug looking for something to occupy his time. As she took a rest on a small rooftop she shook her head at the scene below. "It's like a zombie apocalypse only they replaced flesh eathers with crooks!" She commented to herself.

She kept moving, not wanting to stop for too long in case she was spotted. She remembered the last time a group of punks cornered her. It took a few weeks to get all of the glass and orange spray paint out of her fur. She decided to cut through the park. It had been one of her favorite places to go in the past.

When she got there it wasn't the peaceful retreat it once was. The plant life was dying or dead, the fountain was damaged and the soccer field had been treated like the city's new dump site. Shade shook her head in disgust at the putrid sight. After being chased three blocks by a stray dog she saw the street sign marked Avian Way. Stopping short she sent a weak electric current that shot through the dog's body. It wasn't very strong but, it was enough to get the point across. Shade had always been careful about using her electric power since arriving in St. Canard.

She walked down the street counting the addresses as she went. Finally she found the house. "537...yep, this is it." although the house seemed to have been abandoned for years it didn't look too bad. The door creaked open as Shade stepped through the front door. The house was empty. The broken window in the living room told Shade that someone may have looted the place at one time. Papers were littered all over the floor and loose wires were scattered. After checking the house over Shade concluded that this place had been robbed long after it's residence had moved out. She picked up some of the papers and realized that some of them were actually photos.

Shade recognized Gosalyn right away. she wasn't surprised since she had seen Gosalyn tag along on Darkwing's adventures before. "I guess her house would make a good secret meeting place." She said aloud. The young hero looked around for more clues but didn't find anything that would lead to a big secret Darkwing would hide. There was only one thing that didn't add up. All of the furniture was gone except for two twin easy chairs in the back wall of the living room and a small table between them.

Shade looked under the coushions and checked behind and then tried looking under and found nothing. Shade then focused her attention on the table. There was a small statue stuck to it but, the head had been broken off. Shade tried moving it but it was bolted to the floor like the chairs were. that is until she accidently leaned on a switch where the head used to be. The chairs went into a rapid spin and Shade never knew what hit her. The next minute she was back in Darkwing Tower.

The rookie looked around before she realized where she was. "Why would Darkwing build a secret passage to Gosalyn's house?" Shade knew that had to have something to do with the big secret but, shrugged it off as an easy way for Gosalyn to get home. Shade went looking for Darkwarrior but couldn't find him anywhere. She took the chance to go on an unofficial tour of the tower. Despite his acceptance of her, Darkwing never let Shade venture around the tower on her own. Aside from the secret she wondered if there was there something else he was trying to hide? Shade's curiosity got the better of her.

After spending about forty minutes wandering around she wasn't finding much. She saw some familiar devices over by his unifnished projects. Devices that had been used by his enemies that he had taken and put away. There was the Tron Splitter that Shade despised after she got hit with it thus giving birth to Nega Shade. Thankfully her evil side was short lived. There were other devices as well. A shrink ray, a few of QuackerJack's chattering teeth, One of Bushroot's robot plants and a few weapons left behind from several of Negaduck's rampages.

Finding nothing close to a secret Shade headed over to Darkwing's library. she skimmed through the titles. He pretty much had everything about different subjects, countless records and police reports. Finally she found something that caught her eye. "Mallard Family Tree?" Just as she opened the book it was grabbed out of her paws. Shade looked up to see an angry Darkwarrior towering over her.

"Why are you going through my personal things?!" He shouted angrily. He then pointed towards the city. "I just spent the last hour looking for you! I told you the city was too dangerous for someone like you to roam around! It's not like it was years ago!" Shade jumped onto the table and closer to his eye level. "I noticed! I may not be upgraded with fancy tech and armor like you but, I'm not stupid! I know how to handle myself in a dangerous place or did you forget about my power?"

She bounced a small current of green electricity between her paws to refresh his memory. "I could level an entire building if I wanted to." She stated. Darkwarrior walked away still holding the book. Shade followed. "Where did you go anyway? There's nothing here for you anymore." Darkwarrior asked. Shade hopped onto his computer desk. "Not that it's any of your business but, I went back to The Thunderbolt."

"That place has been shut down for years." The armored hero replied. Shade folded her paws. "I noticed. I also noticed the letter you left for me on my night stand." Darkwarrior looked up at her. "What letter?" Shade pulled out the letter from her backpack and handed it to him. "This letter."

Darkwarrior took it and read it. "This was still there?" Shade nodded. "Right on the night stand where you left it." Darkwarrior sighed. "Why didn't you come that night?" Shade slapped a paw over her forehead. "Because that was the night I was thrown through time, DUH!" Shade quickly adjusted her attitude with a stern glare from the armored mallard.

Darkwarrior realized then that she had been trying to figure out the secret he had wanted to tell her years ago. "Have you figured out the secret?" He asked. The rookie shook her head. "I went to the address in the letter but, all I could find were some photos of Gosalyn and her dad but, that was it. Everything else in the house was looted except for two chairs like those over in that corner." She pointed to the other two chairs easy chairs sitting in the dusty forgotten corner of the tower.

"That doesn't answer my question." Darkwarrior replied. "Did you figure it out?" Shade shook her head. "The only thing I can figure out is that it has something to do with Gosalyn." Darkwarrior shook his head. "Not quite but, it doesn't matter now anyway." Shade tilted her head. "Don't tell me you don't think I'm not trust worthy anymore."

Darkwarrior's expression sadened. "It's not that. The secret isn't worth worrying about anymore." Shade watched him walk back over to the more home-like area of the tower. "You're not the Darkwarrior from the alternate demention are you. You're Darkwing." Shade said.

Darkwarrior shook his head. "Does it really matter now? I ended up just like him anyway. I think now I understand why he was so forceful and why he wanted to finish off his enemies instead of throwing them in jail." The rookie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But, you're no murderer. I don't know what made Darkwarrior act the way he did but, you always tried things the better way. You even went as far as saving Negaduck from that nuclear reactor. He didn't seem that grateful but, I'm sure he realized it later on."

Darkwarrior rubbed the rookie's head. "I wish I was still as naive as you." Shade pushed his hand away. "Naive?! Why you!" she reached for the book. "If you think the secret's not worth hiding then you might as well tell me since I've been waiting for years to know it!" The armored mallard picked her up by her tail. "Don't give me that crap! It's only been a month for you!" He dropped her on her head and picked up one of the old blow torches he had taken from Negaduck in the past.

Turning it on he lit the book on fire. Shade jumped up on her feet and reached for the book. "What are you doing?!" Darkwarrior threw it onto a metal trey. "The secret dies with me." He said as he watched it burn. Shade glared up at him. "You stubburn jerk!" She tackled him hard in the gut knocking him over before she jumped on the chairs and flipped the switch and was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Shade couldn't remember the last time she was that angry. She kicked the front door open and stormed out. She turned the corner and focused on getting as far away from 537 Avian Way as possible. "I can't believe the nerve of that jerk! He trusts me enough to train me in his hideout but, I'm not good enough to know his grand secret?! I wish I never stumbled on this stupid city!"

The irritated pikachu headed back towards the park and back to her club to spend the night when she sensed a change in the atmosphere. She looked up at the sky as clouds blocked out the moonlight which only soured the rookie's mood further. "Oh great, even the weather isn't on my side. What's next?"

As she made her way out of the park she sensed she was being followed. Quickening her pace she then jumped behind a tree and climbed it. She sat on a branch and waited. Someone in a large trench coat walked underneath it looking around trying to figure out which way Shade had gone when she made her move. Jumping down she shoved his ski cap over his eyes and then using the ties on his coat she tripped him. "Alright buster, what do you want?!"

The man finally managed to pull the ski cap off his head revealing his purple, petal-like hair. "Bushroot?!" Shade squeaked in surprise. While she figured the big-time villains hadn't all been defeated she was surprised Bushroot was still around. As Shade got ready for a fight the mutant plant duck waved his leafy hands in submission. "Please, don't hurt me! I don't want to fight!"

Shade glared at him but, didn't attack. "Why are you following me?" Bushroot gulped nervously. "I thought I was seeing things. Everyone thought QuackerJack killed you." The rookie hero blinked. "Wait, hold up. Everyone thinks QuackerJack killed me?! How does that add up? Darkwi-, I mean Darkwarrior told me I was just missing." The plant duck shook his head. "Not the way QuackerJack told it." Shade untied his coat freeing his feet. "Please tell me everything that happened the night I vanished." Bushroot nodded and stood up.

_It was right after Negaduck's big jewerly hiest shceme failed. QuackerJack was suppose to provide the escape and the back up in case any heroes showed up. Negaduck was real mad when the clown was a no show. He about turned the hideout upside down in his rampage. That's when QuackerJack strolled in with the biggest smile on his face. "Looks like I've hit the jackpot!" _

_"You know what I'm gonna hit? Your face!" Negaduck grabbed the clown by his collar and pressed him up against the wall. "Wait, you're gonna love this!" QuackerJack choked. "You got three seconds to spill your guts before I do it for you!" Negaduck shouted in anger. _

_The clown tried to breathe as Negaduck's grip around his throat tightened. "M-m-maybe if you let go of his throat he could tell you." Bushroot stated. Negaduck reluctantly let go. After taking in a few deep breaths of air QuackerJack's smile returned. "I'm sure you've all had your run ins with that electric rat right?" The clown started. _

_"Hey, that hurt!" Megavolt shouted. "Not you, the hero rat." Quackerjack replied. The other members nodded. "What about her?" Negaduck asked, clenching his fists. QuackerJack jumped ontp the pool table. "She's now a thing of the past! I killed her with my black hole portal!" _

_The Liquidator splashed up next to him. "Prove it!" Negaduck nodded. "Yeah, it's never that easy to get rid of heroes. If it was, Darkwing Duck would have been dead years ago!" QuackerJack told them that while he was on his way to the jewerly hiest Shade spotted him and hitched a ride. She had some trouble dealing with his chattering teeth giving QuackerJack time to power his new invention he had been itching to try out. When it was ready he grabbed Shade as she tried to tackle him and threw her into the mirror that had been altered to be a portal leading to a black hole. _

_Negaduck rubbed his hands together. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's see if it'll work as well on other heroes." That was when Quackerjack's smile faded. "There's a little problem with that Negsy." He showed them the mirror. "The brat managed to overload the device as she was sent through destroying it. I don't think I can make it work again." _

"And that's pretty much what happened." Bushroot finished. Shade had her paws folded trying to absorb everything he had told her. "Hmm, well, that's pretty close to what happened but, I don't think QuackerJack realized what he had created." Bushroot brushed off the dirt from his coat from when Shade shoved him down. "So, what happened to you if you weren't sucked into a black hole?"

Shade was still trying to figure out how. "Well, from what I read about QuackerJack he had meddled with time devices before right?" Bushroot nodded. "Yeah, he built the Time Top with Megavolt's help." Shade began pacing. "He must have made the mirror based off of that technology so, instead of creating a portal to a black hole which is also thoerized to bend time and cause it to slow down. he must have actually created another time device instead."

The rookie thought back to when she first arrived in the future. She remembered crashing into a wall and then looking up at Darkwarrior Duck. "That's it! He has the mirror! Maybe it can send me back!" Bushroot grabbed her. Shade turned and glared at him. "Let me go. Going back will make things better. you can't possibly like how the city looks now do you?" Shade asked. Bushroot shook his head. "Darkwarrior isn't the same guy you used to know Shade. He's gone too far with his crime fighting."

"You expect me to believe that coming from a villain?" Shade asked flatly. The plant duck nodded. "When he became Darkwarrior I gave up being a villian. The other members of the Fearsome Five are either locked up or dead. I've been in hiding ever since the final show down between Darkwarrior and Negaduck."

Shade blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? Negaduck was sent back to the Negaverse where he came from." Bushroot shook his head. "Is that what Darkwarrior told you?" Shade nodded. "Did he also tell you that he killed QuackerJack out of revenge?" Shade couldn't believe what she was hearing. She fell to her knees as Darkwarrior's words echoed back to her. "_I wish I was still as naive as you._" Shade looked down at the ground. "So that's what me meant earlier."

She slowly stood up. "Bushroot, I promise I'm going to fix this." The plant duck blinked. "What are you going to do? you can't beat Darkwarrior, believe me, The Fearsome Five gave it their best shot!" Shade turned to him and smiled. "I know but, I haven't given him mine." she took off towards the tower.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Shade carefully made her way back up the support cable on the famous bridge. She knew using the chairs would alert Darkwarrior and she wanted to see if the mirror was still there and was in working order. As she made her way to the tower she carefully creeped along the window's edge. It was a long way down. Gulping nervously she peered inside. It was hard to see since all the lights were off. Shade figured Darkwarrior went to bed. He didn't seem too gun ho about protecting the city anymore.

A flash of lightning lit up the room enough for Shade to see that the coast was clear. She jumped through the opening, landing on all four paws. "You'd think he'd put some windows up." Shade made her way over to the lab area where he had set up the devices she had seen earlier. At first Shade thought about powering up the Time Top but, she had no idea how it worked or if it even if it still worked at all. She thought about supplying the power herself but, it would take too long.

She spent over ten minutes looking for the mirror until she found it. "Yes! And it looks intact." she whispered. After examining it she realized that it only needed a good charge. With her blue cheeks sparking green she began charging it up not noticing Darkwarrior coming up behind her. He grabbed her by the back of her neck. "And what the hell are you doing now!"

Shade squeaked as she was grabbed and for the first time she wasn't happy to see the armored mallard. "What's your problem Shade? You can't just come and go as you please! I'm starting to lose my patience." Shade glared up at him. "Just like you lost your patience with Negaduck and QuackerJack?!" The masked mallard glared at her. "I think that trip through time gave you brain damage."

Shade tried to get out of his grasp but, he was holding her like a ferral cat. "There's someone here with brain damage but, it's not me!" She tried to struggle further but, Darkwarrior wasn't about to let her go free. Not until she calmed down. She managed to turn her head enough to bite him hard on the hand. "Ow! Why you little!" He threw her against the wall knocking the wind out of her.

"It all makes sense now," She gasped trying to catch her breath. "When you said you wished you were as naive as I was. you were really talking about my innocence. You wanted to be guilt free. You regret the bad choices you made when you killed Negaduck and QuackerJack!" Darkwarrior chuckled coldly. "So what if I killed them? It's not like it really hurt anyone." Shade couldn't believe what she was hearing. She expected him to regret what he had done but, he seemed almost proud of it.

"Obviously it did hurt people." The rookie replied. The armored mallard folded his arms. "And who would that be? The reast of the Five? Their either rotting in prison or hiding in fear." Shade shook her head. "What about your sidekick? I don't seem him or the Thunder Quack around here. And What about your fan, Gosalyn? What happened to her? Her family's house has been empty for years! Could it be that they couldn't stand to see the monster you were becoming?!"

Darkwarrior approached her. There was an ominous aura about him but, Shade was too busy lecuring him to notice. "Now I know your not the Darkwarrior from the alternate reality because at least he realized where his faults were and he never could bring himself to take a life. He just liked to boast that he could but, I know he'd never actually do it! But you're worse then a tyrant! You've become a villain! Killing people is a crime no matter if they're good or bad! That's something you once told me!"

Darkwarrior kicked her hard sending her rolling across the floor. "You have no room to talk Project-X. You were so open with me about your past. All those innocent lives you destroyed! At least the people I killed deserved it which is more then can be said for that innocent child you murdered in cold blood!"

Shade froze in shock. Tears blurred her vision as the image of the young boy flashed through her mind. She shut her eyes as she tried to shake away the image. "That was an accident. It was dark; I couldn't see a thing!" Darkwarrior smiled, he managed to lower her guard. "All that little boy wanted was a friend and your response was to stab him in the stomach with your razor sharp tail. What kind of monster would attack a defenseless child then stand there and watch him die?"

"Stop it!" Shade covered her ears trying to block out the painful truth. Darkwarrior kept pressing the kid's death into her head as he reached for one of Negaduck's deadly weapons. He found a bazooka and aimed it at her, figureing there was no point letting a high-powered rookie loose in the city when she'd only be a danger to everyone. "What made you think you could ever be a hero after doing something like that?" He asked her. Shade looked at the floor with a dead expression. Her mind was trapted in that moment of the boy's death. She remembered how hard it was to wash the blood off her tail.

Darkwarrior was about to pull the trigger when a vine-like whip lashed out and struck the armored mallard from behind knocking the bazooka out of his grasp. Darkwarrior fell into the Time Top knocking it over. The large time machine fell on top of the masked mallard.

Bushroot ran over to Shade and gently started shaking her. "Shade! Snap out of it! Pull yourself together!" He slapped her a few times with his leafy hands. Shade blinked a few times as she came back to reality. "Huh?...B-Bushroot? What are you doing here?" The plant duck smiled. "I followed you. I figured if you could change the past it would be best for everyone, even us villains."

Shade grabbed his hand. "Darkwarrior he, He said I deserved to die for the crimes I commited before I came to the city!" Bushroot nodded. "I know, I heard it as I was coming through the window. Look, whatever you did in the past doesn't mean your the same now." Shade looked up at him. "It sounded like it was an accident if it was dark that night and besides, You've had dozens of chances to kill us villains but, you didn't. You said it yourself you've been holding back."

Shade's eyes sparkled, realizing what he had just said was true. Suddenly, the ground around them exploded as Darkwarrior headed over to the spot carrying the bazooka over his shoulder. "Further proof that you're a villain if you team up with one!" As the dust cleared he didn't see Shade but, he spotted Bushroot laying in a pile of rubble moaning in pain. He stood over the plant duck and aimed the bazooka point blank at his head.

"No!" Shade jumped out of the rubble and attacked Darkwarrior with a jolt of Green electricity. The mallard screamed in pain as he dropped the weapon. Shade stopped her attack and landed on all fours. "You're not going to kill anyone else while I'm around!" Darkwarrior stood up and shook away the static shock. "Then I guess I'll just finish you off first!"

Shade took a step back. "Do you hear yourself?! You sound more like Negaduck then the hero you once were!"

"I _**am**_ a hero!" He shouted as he charged at her but, she had been charging as well. Shade unleashed another wave of Green Thunder shocking the armored mallard. Her attack only lasted a few seconds before she stopped. "Your armor is a disadvantage when it comes to my power!"

Darkwarrior realized it as well and charged at her again before she could unleash another attack. He grabbed her by her throat and slammed her against the wall. She retaliated by scratching his face with her claws and biting his arm. He threw her across the room. Shade cried out in pain as she hit her shoulder hard on the edge of the computer desk. She got up and headed back over to Darkwarrior holding her arm as pain shot through her body from her injured shoulder.

Darkwarrior tried once more to take the chance to get rid of Bushroot but, Shade wasn't gonig to let him commit another murder. "I can't believe I once considered you as my idol! You're no hero! You're nothing but, scum! I hope you're proud of what you've become Darkwarrior! You're worst then Negaduck! Heck, you're even worse then Taurus Bulba!" The armored tyrant threw a large rock at Shade knocking her into a pile of electric cables. "Don't you _**ever**_ compare me to him!" He shouted.

Shade tried to get out of the cables but, she had been tangled in the thick coils. Darkwarrior took his change and charged at Shade who had jumped on the window ledge to get out of the tangles. Shade saw him coming and ducked down. Darkwarrior missed and flew out the window.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Darkwing!" Not understanding why she did it, Shade jumped out of the window after him and grabbed his hand in her paws. They both fell until the cables went taut. Shade cried out in pain as the cables dug mercilessly into her fur, the line with the most tention wrapping tightly around her foot. She was also in pain from the strain on her injured shoulder.

Darkwarrior looked up at her. "What are you doing?! When fighting for your life you don't save your attacker!" Shade tried to blink back tears of pain. "Why does this have to be a fight to the death?" Darkwarrior noticed how tightly the cables were wrapped around her as they began to cut into her causing her to bleed. "Let go Shade. You can't handle the strain!" He called up.

Shade smiled at him. "I knew you were still in there somewhere Darkwing." She started loosing her grip but, she refused to let go. "C'mon Darkwing, reach up and grab the cable! We can still clean up the city! I'll stay in the future and help you make things right!"

Darkwarrior looked at the city then back up at Shade. It was clear she couldn't hold on for much longer and Shade didn't know it but, the cable just above her was threatening to snap. It wouldn't be able to hold them both for much longer. "It's pointless to try and fix things now Shade."

"No it's not!" Shade shouted. "You were right, I was a total monster before I met you! I even hid the truth from my friends! I was totally contempt with dying in that ally at the hands of those punks! Until you showed up and saved me. You gave me a reason to live! I wanted to be a hero so that I could make up for my past! I wanted to put my power to good use! I wanted to make amends with what I did to that little boy! For taking his life I figured if I devoted my life to saving people then I could help him rest in peace! All that adds up to the fact that it's never too late to change! You can change back Darkwing!"

A few drops of blood and tears fell from the rookie and landed on his feathers. Shade smiled at him. "I want to help you." Darkwarrior wiped away the blood and tears from his face and smiled back at her. "You already have." He reached up with his hand and grabbed her paws but, instead of pulling himself up he pried her paws open and fell out of her grasp. Shade watched him fall in horror. "Darkwing! NO!"

Shade tried getting free of the cables in order to jump into the bay after him but, the cords were too tight and embedded, cutting deep into her. Nevertheless, Shade kept trying to break free. suddenly the cables began lifting her up. Shade looked upward and saw Bushroot pulling her to safety. "Don't worry Shade, I got you!" Once he had pulled her up he then carfully went to work removing the tangled wires. Shade winced as the cable peeled away from her wounds. It took a while before he had managed to pull away the last and worst of it which was the cord around her foot.

When the rookie hero was free of all the cables she tried to stand up. "There might still be a chance, I gotta try and save him." She took two steps and fell. She tried again to stand up and walk but, her legs gave out on her. Bushroot tried to help her. "You're too injured to help him and it's no use. No one could survive a fall from this high up. Hitting the water from this height is the same as hitting concrete."

Shade pushed him away. "No! He can't be gone! I just got through to him! I got through to the old Darkwing!" Bushroot tried to console her. "You didn't realize that he saved you did you?"

"What?" Shade sniffed as she looked up. Bushroot held up the weakend strand of cable. "It wouldn't take much for this to snap. you both would have fallen into the bay if he had tried to pull himself up." The rookie hero started tearing up again. "So, he sacrificed himself in order to save me, is that it?" Bushroot nodded and Shade slammed her fists onto the floor. "Stupid idiot! Why'd he do that! Everyone thought I was already dead! It wouldn't have mattered!"

Something suddenly occured to the plant duck. "His death doesn't matter either." Shade glared evilly at Bushroot. "Shut Up! I don't care if you were enemies, nothing gives you the right to say that!" Bushroot held up his hands. "Calm down! That's not what I meant. You can still save him if you do what you came here to do."

Shade wiped away her tears as she thought about what he meant. Then it occured to her. "Of course! The mirror!" Shade limped over to the device and smiled when she saw it was undamaged. It only needed a little more power to be fully charged. Shade used her remaining power to give the device the juice it needed. Bushroot inputted the correct date and time into the device. "The jewerly hiest was suppose to happed around eight that night so, that's the time I set it for. Are you ready?" He asked.

Shade nodded. "I'm ready." He turned on the device and the mirror's reflection began to spin until it resembled a dark portal. Getting a better glance at it Shade could see why QuackerJack assumed it was a black hole. Taking a deep breath she gathered all her courage and the last of her srength and jumped through the mirror. "Thank you Bushroot! I won't forget this!" She called back as the portal faded and the device once again resembled a harmless mirror.

The next thing Shade knew she was lying in a pile of leaves. She heard the sound of an engine coming and looked down the street. She saw QuackerJack on his weird mode of transpertation which resembled a large roller skate. It was at that moment that she saw herself being thrown into the mirror by the annoying clown as he drove off down the road laughing like a lunatic.

Shade smiled to herself. "He won't be laughing for long when he finds out I'm still around." She got up and held her shoulder which still throbbed in pain. She looked up at the clock in the park. It was after eight. "Oh no, Darkwing!" Shade suddenly remembered that she was suppose to meet him at Gosalyn's house. She headed there as fast as she could with the painful limp. Finally after taking twice as long as normal Shade made it to 537 Avian Way. The lights were still on to her relief.

She knocked on the door and then her strength gave out on her and she collapsed on the front step. The door opened and Drake Mallard peered outside. "Hmm, I could have sworn I heard something out here."

"Down here." Shade replied in a raspy voice. "What the heck?!" Drake shouted in surprise. He carefully picked her up and brought her inside. Setting her on the couch he placed a soft pillow behind her. "What happened? It looks like you were run over by a semi...twice!" Shade winced as she tried not to laugh. "I fought with QuackerJack and lost." She replied. QuackerJack was going to tell everyone he had killed her so lying about her injuries wouldn't matter.

Drake shook his head. "I thought you were told not to go after any of the Fearsome Five until you were ready." Shade nodded. "I know. I should have listened." She looked around the house. "So, where's Darkwing? He left a letter at the club telling me to come to this address." The front door opened as Launchpad and Gosalyn came home. "Hey dad! you missed a great movie! I sure hope we get to see a real life zombie apocolypse!" Launchpad tried not to think about it as he carried in the take out food. "I sure hope **not**. It's bad enough fighting Dr. Slug right D.W.?" Drake rolled his eyes at his daughter's taste in movies. Shade blinked as she looked over at Launchpad then back at Drake.

Drake smiled when he saw the expression on her face. "Have you figured out the secret?" Suddenly, Darkwarrior's words came flooding back to her. Shade's jaw dropped open. "Wait, Mr. Mallard...you-You're Darkwing Duck?!" Drake laughed. "You shouldn't be so surprised. Why else do you think I let Gosalyn tag along on my adventures?" Gosalyn poked him in the back. "You never_ let _me! I always have to sneak around. She pointed out."

Tears openly flowed down Shade's face. "Hey, what's wrong? I thought you'd be happy that I trust you with my secret." Shade looked up at the ceiling, remembering when Darkwarrior burned the book of the Mallard family tree and recalling what he said. _"It's not worth it anymore." _

"You idiot." Shade whispered. "Excuse me?" Drake asked. The rookie wiped away her tears and smiled. "It's nothing. I'll be alright, after these injuries heal." The unmasked hero shook his head. "You need better training. That little excorsize course you have on the roof of your club isn't enough." Shade nodded. "You may be right but, I want to tell you something."

Drake nodded. "Yes?" Shade smirked. "If you can trust me with a secret I can trust you with one of my own." She couldn't hide a chuckle. "I heard that the Fearsome Five are robbing a jewerly store and QuackerJack won't be there. He's too busy goofing off! If you hurry you might be able to foil the robbery!"

Drake nodded over to Launchpad. "Right! Sounds like a job for Darkwing Duck! Shade!" He called back to her as he got up. "I want you to stay here until those injuries heal." Drake and Launchpad jumped onto the twin easy chairs sitting in the corner. "Gosalyn, don't forget to finish your homework." He made sure Shade was alright before hitting the head on the mouse statue. "Let's Get Dangerous!"


	6. Chapter 6: Finale

**Chapter Six**

It had been a week since Shade's return and she was relieved that she had healed enough to get around. Launchpad had informed Mr. Mc'duck about Shade's condition and the business tycoon had hired someone to take over running the night club until Shade recovered.

The first stop she made was the Thunderbolt. Pulling out the spare key she always carried with her she unlocked the front door. She adjusted the sling on her arm which was keeping her injured shoulder still while it still needed time to heal. She sighed at the state her club had been left in. The tables hadn't looked like they had been wiped down and some even still had drinks still on them. The bar area wasn't much cleaner.

Walking around the bar she saw the temporary caretaker sleeping with a broom in his hands. Shade quietly chuckled to herself. She recognized Scrooge's accountant. It didn't surprise her that it was one of Launchpad's friends. She unfolded a nearby table cloth and draped it over him like a blanket.

Leaving Fenton Crackshell to sleep Shade headed over to her CD collection. She browsed through the titles until she found some that she knew the person she was going to see would appreciate. Taking a couple tracks she exited the club and locked the door behind her then headed off to the edge of town.

Over at the Green House Bushroot was busy pulling weeds out of the new area he had cultiuvated for the rare flowers he had just grown. He hummed as he watered them. "There you go my babies, drink up so you can grow big and strong." Suddenly, Bushroot's pet flytrap, Spike ran up to him barking profusely. "Spike! Pipe down! What's the matter with you?"

"Knock, knock!" Shade called from outside the window. Bushroot jumped back as Shade slide the window open and jumped in. Bushroot dropped the water hose and prepared for a fight. "Get her Spike!" Shade waved her hand in front of her. "No, I'm not here to fight you. I just came by for a visit."

Bushroot folded his vine-like arms. "Why should I believe Darkwing's pet?" Shade let the insult slide as she gave a deflated sigh. "I didn't come here to cause trouble. I just wanted to give you something." Bushroot tilted his head as she laid the CD's on the table. "What are these?"

Shade smiled. "I was going through my CD collection trying to get rid of some stuff that I didn't want anymore and I thought these would be good tracks to help your plants grow. I read somewhere that peaceful and orchestral music helps plants grow healthy."

The mutant plant duck picked up some of the CD's and read them aloud. "Henya, Two Quacks from Hell, Celtic Swans?" Shade smiled then turned to leave. "Why don't you try them out while growing your new flowers over there? I hope it helps." She went to leave when Bushroot called her back. "Hey, How come your being so nice to me? We're enemies."

Shade turned back and smiled. "We're only enemies when you're commiting a crime but, when it comes down to it, you're not that bad Bushroot. Just a lonely soul who wants a friend. Besides, I owed you one." As Shade left Bushroot noticed that she was wearing a sling. He walked over to some of his rare rainforest flowers. "Would you mind doing me a favor?" He asked them.

Shade had only gone a block from the green house when Bushroot caught up with her. "Wait!" He said panting. The rookie hero turned to him. "Something wrong?" He handed her a small jar filled with white flower petals. "Brew these in water and then pour it over your injury. It'll kill any pain and help it heal faster."

Shade took the jar and smiled up at him. "Thanks Bushroot. I'll do that." He waved to her before going back into his green house to try out his new CD's and Shade turned to head back to Avian Way which wasn't very far. Shade tried to get there before Drake got back or else she knew she was in for a lecture about walking around the city before she was fully recovered.

**Epologue**

**Twenty Years Later...**

A thunderstorm raged across the night sky. It seemed like another normal night except it was winter and thunderstorms were out of season. Lightning struck the Tallest building in the city causing a large black out. Shade was sitting on the ledge of Darkwing Tower overlooking the scene when the alarm sounded.

Quiverwing Quack was at the computer and checking on the update. "Megavolt's hitting the powerplant again. This time he's trying to create a living thunderstorm." Shade jumped inside and shook her head. "Probably trying to hold the city for ransom again." The chairs in the corner began to spin as Darkwing and Professor Honker Muddlefoot appeared. Darkwing looked over at Shade. "Well, if you're here then Megavolt must be having another bad attitude."

The now seasoned hero chuckled. "Oh please, you mistook that storm as one of mine? Give me some credit. If it was mine the Lightning would be green."

"Good point." Replied the masked mallard. "Speaking of green, where's our newest recruit?"

"Right here!" A secret hatch opened up and Bushroot rose on the platform. "All set and ready to go." He stated. "Awesome your powers will be useful against electricity." Shade replied. It had taken a while but, through the years Shade had managed to help the plant duck transform from villain into hero. It took even longer to convince Darkwing that he had turned over a new leaf and proved he was trustworthy enough to show him Darkwing's hideout.

Through the many years of tough battles and rigorous training Shade had proven herself to be a worthy hero and a force to be reckoned with. She had helped the plant duck get a job working for Scrooge and gave him the friend he never had. Shade also helped Darkwing keep an eye on Gosalyn and keep her out of trouble. It was also thanks to Shade that Gosalyn trained to be a hero like her dad because being a tomboy herself, the pikachu knew Gosalyn would find a way to be a hero no matter what.

Shade and Darkwing had proven to be an amazing team. Darkwing never planned on sharing the spotlight with another hero but, The spunky pikachu had been the one exception. She wasn't a glory hog and she only took credit for things she actually did.

It didn't surprise anyone when Honker turned out to be SHUSH's top Scientist after Dr. Bellum retired. He worked for SHUSH but, he was always on hand to equip Darkwing with the newest technology that could be used to crimefighting even if he had to sneak it past Director Grizzlykoff.

Another lightning strike hit the city as the group headed towards the ThunderQuack. Launchpad opened the hatch. "She's all set and ready to fly D.W."

"Good!" Replied the hero. Everyone got inside except for Shade who stood on one of the wings. "I'll stay out here and deflect any strikes that come at us!" She called to the others. "Smart thinking!" Darkwing called back.

The ThunderQuack took off into the sky heading towards the power plant. It wasn't long until it became clear that Megavolt had spotted them as Shade started deflecting more and more strikes with her own Green Thunder. "There's Megavolt! He's by the relay station!" Quiverwing called out. Darkwing nodded. "Take us down L.P.!"

The pilot swooped the jet in low as the hatch opened up. "Everyone ready?" Asked the masked mallard. "Ready!" Everyone shouted back. "Then, Let's Get Dangerous!" The heroes launched out of the jet landing neatly on the ground. Shade smiled as they all charged at Megavolt who although had gotten crazier over the years had also gotten a lot stronger but, Shade enjoyed every minute of this life. After all, it was finally a life worth living for.

**The End**


End file.
